In automotive manufacturing, it is necessary to provide accessory components to accommodate demand for such equipment. To efficiently utilize materials, automotive manufacturers use mass production techniques wherein a single component is designed for use on many different products by making adaptations for particular products and provisions for various optional or accessory equipment. There are occasions where a fastener is required for attaching an optional or accessory item or for attaching a bracket for mounting a particular item. Typically, the location of the fastener, if needed, will be known and the structural member of the automobile is adapted for adding it. Automobiles are constructed using sheet metal of various thicknesses and configurations which sometimes remains as a sheet and sometimes is formed into a channel or a box configuration for the particular purpose needed. A member may be pre-punched with openings at each location where a bracket or other component may be added at some point during the manufacturing process.
One method of attaching a bracket for fastening accessory equipment to a vehicle panel involves the use of a piercenut which pierces the metal panel and attaches itself to the panel for receiving a fastener that will attach the bracket to the panel. In the past, it was common to attach the piercenuts during assembly at each point on a panel that a nut may be required. Unfortunately, attaching a piercenut provides a passageway for the ingress of moisture and other contaminants which could corrode or otherwise damage the panel to which it attaches as well as damage other parts of the vehicle. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that it will be highly desirable to have a fastener nut that attaches to a vehicle panel without deteriorating the panel or panel integrity because of the ingress of contaminants.
Another method of attaching a bracket involves the use of a nut which attaches to the panel by clinching or crimping the panel. Such a nut may also attach to the vehicle panel with protrusions extending through an existing panel opening that are bent or crimped against the panel. Currently, there are several types of fasteners that are used, such as push nuts, sealed metal rivet nuts, solid piercenuts, and conventional piercenuts. Each of these fasteners has drawbacks. Plastic push nuts have a plastic substrate which severely limits the torque and loading that the plastic nut can withstand. Sealed rivet nuts require increased packaging space and installation is usually a manual process. Solid piercenuts must be drilled at assembly which is not an acceptable method for original equipment manufacturing because of increased production time.
In automotive applications, there are also occasions where a fastener is required on a panel on an as needed basis. When this fastener goes into a wet area, sealing is required because the hole in the fastener nut is a hole that contaminants can flow through in the panel to cause damage. Conventional piercenuts are usually plugged with a rubber plug that is manually added after installation with inherent installation inconsistencies. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that it will be highly desirable to have a fastener that can be added to a vehicle panel during manufacturer of the panel or during vehicle assembly that would function effectively as a fastener and would inhibit the ingress of water, corrosive atmospheric elements and other contaminants.